Winter is here and many of us are looking for more season-specific meals to incorporate into our meal plans and routines. While salads and more lightweight, cooler options tend to be popular during the summer, many of us crave more filling, warm and wholesome meals throughout the colder months. If you’re not sure where to get started with this, here are some suggestions that will tide you through until spring!
The Basics
When planning your winter meals, it’s essential to keep the basics in mind. Specific dietary recommendations and rules apply year-round, so keep them at the forefront of your plans. You need to make sure that you’re eating your daily recommended calorie count - this can vary based on your age, sex and activity levels. You also need to make sure that you’re getting your five a day and that your meals are balanced, providing you with sufficient protein, carbohydrates, healthy oils and fats, and more.
Season Specific Considerations
While basic rules still apply, there are season-specific considerations that you might want to take into account during the winter too. Many of us source vitamin D through sunlight and this is less readily available in the winter, especially when many of us shelter from the cold in our homes. Try to incorporate plenty of food-based vitamin D in your diet, from options including fatty fish, eggs, liver, fortified dairy products, orange juice, soy milk and cereal. Foods with plenty of omega-3 can also help to balance inflammation and combat flaky, itchy and dry skin which is more prevalent during the winter months. Good options include mackerel, salmon, herring, sardines, flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts.
Popular Winter Meals
So, what kind of meals might you want to try out during the winter? Here are a few popular options that you might like to try out yourself.
Soups
Soups are warming, giving you a core warmth from within. On top of this, you can blend or add a whole host of vegetables to the soup, which means you get several portions of your five a day in one shot. There are also plenty of flavours and varieties to choose from, meaning you could have soup every day without getting bored. From one pot chicken vegetable soup to cream of mushroom, minestrone, and tomato… all pair perfectly with a slice of thick, crusty bread.
Casseroles
A casserole is a one-pan dish that is usually baked in the oven. They tend to have a crispy top and the ingredients below tend to melt or bake together. Popular casseroles include sausage casseroles, chicken casseroles, green bean casseroles and more.
Poutine
This isn’t the healthiest winter food, but it is definitely a winter warmer that serves as a great occasional treat. It is a traditional Canadian dish, originating from Quebec in the 1950s. Put simply, it is a carby combination of fries, gravy and cheese curds. The best type of cheese to use in poutine is “cheese curds”, which are essentially solid pieces of curdled milk.
Ideally, some of the advice above will help you to prepare some wholesome meals for the winter months ahead. Meal plan and see how you get on!
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